European Union GapFill

The European Union is a political and economic union of 27 countries in Europe. It was founded in 1993 after the ratification of the Maastricht Treaty; however, its predecessor, the European Economic Community, was founded much earlier, in 1957, after the signing of the Treaty of Rome. One priority of the EU is to guarantee the   four freedomssingle currencypolicy of expansionCommon Agricultural Policy of the European Single Market to all European citizens. These are the free movement of goods, services, capital and labour. The EU can create law and common policies that all member states must enforce. European legislation is passed through three key European institutions. The  European Defence AgencyEuropean CommissionEuropean ParliamentEuropean Court of Justice, acts as the executive and is comprised of a nominated commissioner from each member state. The  European Central BankEuropean Defence AgencyEuropean ParliamentEuropean Commission acts as the legislature, with its members elected every five years in continent-wide elections. In addition, the  European CommissionEuropean Central BankEuropean CouncilEuropean Defence Agency is a group comprised of national leaders from all the member states. Finally, the  European Defence AgencyEuropean Court of JusticeEuropean ParliamentEuropean Central Bank acts as the judiciary, ensuring compliance with EU law among member states. 

The UK joined the EEC in 1973, and held a referendum on continued membership of the bloc in 1975, which was won by the "Yes" side. The UK government under John Major secured "opt-outs" from joining some features of the Maastricht Treaty, such as the  four freedomsCommon Agricultural Policysingle currencypolicy of expansion. The EEC was initially controversial among some socialists in the UK as it often advocated market-orientated policies. By the 1990s, it had become more controversial among Conservatives, who saw it as undermining national sovereignty. In 2016 a further referendum on EU membership was held, which produced a "Leave" result. As a result, the UK left the European Union on 31st January 2020, though it remains under the jurisdiction of EU laws and regulations until the end of a transitional period.

EU membership was controversial in the UK due to a number of its policies. One was the   single currencySocial ChapterCommon Agricultural Policypolicy of expansion, which protected and standardised workers' rights across the bloc. The Major government secured an "opt-out" from this area of jurisdiction; however, it was later adopted by the Blair government. While it made the EU more popular with socialists, Conservatives disliked the regulations as they saw them as bad for businesses. Another controversial policy was the   Common Fisheries PolicyCommon Agricultural Policypolicy of expansionsingle currency, which set quotas for the types and amount of fish allowed to be caught by each member state, leading to large numbers of discarded fish. The   single currencyCommon Agricultural Policyfour freedomspolicy of expansion into Eastern Europe was also controversial in the UK, leading to much higher rates of immigration in a short period of time.